The historic Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in downtown Riverside has officially changed hands, with the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation acquiring the landmark property for approximately $33.2 million, according to real estate records filed with Riverside County in late May.
While neither the tribe nor seller Kelly Roberts disclosed financial details when the sale was announced in early May, county transaction records indicate the deal was finalized on May 28. The acquisition adds the Mission Inn to a growing collection of hospitality properties owned by the tribe through its San Manuel Investment Authority.
The estimated purchase price was confirmed through filings reviewed by the Riverside County Assessor-Clerk Recorder’s Office. The transactions were completed through entities controlled by Roberts, a former Orange County resident and billionaire businesswoman.
“The sale price is within $1,000 of the actual price,” said Melissa Garcia, chief deputy assessor-clerk recorder for Riverside County.
County officials noted that the final valuation could be refined in the coming months as additional documentation is reviewed and processed to establish the complete chain of title and updated property assessments.
“This could take a few months,” Garcia said.
Records show the sale involved several separate properties. One transaction transferred ownership of the 238-room Mission Inn itself, while another included the adjacent parking structure located between Fifth and Sixth streets and bounded by Main and Orange streets. The deal also encompassed a vacant parcel and annex building that houses a bookstore along with offices for the Mission Inn Foundation and Museum.
Based on transfer taxes and associated fees filed with the county, the hotel property accounted for roughly $29.23 million of the total sale price. The garage, vacant land and annex building were valued at approximately $3.68 million.
Those figures were derived using documentary transfer taxes and local city taxes assessed during the transfer of ownership, according to county officials.
A separate filing documented the transfer of the property’s alcoholic beverage license. The license was sold for $331,394.16 to Mission Inn Riverside BevCo LLC, a limited liability company operated by the San Manuel Nation.
The filings were submitted by Historic Mission Inn Corp. and Mission District Associates LLC, both controlled by Roberts. County records identify attorney Patrick O’Brien as the designated agent authorized to receive legal notices and government correspondence on behalf of those entities.
The buyer was listed as Mission Inn Riverside LLC, a company established by the tribe on April 24. Corporate filings with the California Secretary of State show the entity was created specifically to facilitate the purchase of the downtown Riverside properties.
“The San Manuel Investment Authority is continuing to abide by the confidentiality of the agreement and aren’t able to provide additional comment,” said San Manuel spokesman Kenneth Shoji.
Representatives for Roberts and her attorney did not respond to requests seeking additional comment regarding the transaction.
Officials with the Riverside County Assessor-Clerk Recorder’s Office cautioned that large-scale property transactions often involve multiple documents and filings, meaning additional records connected to the sale could still emerge.
“It is important to note that large or complex property transfers may be recorded through multiple documents,” said county spokesman Steven Nguyen. “As a result, the information reflected in any single recorded document may represent only one portion of the overall transaction.”
The sale marks the end of an era for the Roberts family, which played a pivotal role in preserving the iconic Riverside landmark.
Duane and Kelly Roberts became closely associated with the Mission Inn after stepping in to save the property from an uncertain future. The hotel had closed during the mid-1980s and passed through several owners before Duane Roberts purchased it in 1992 for $15.6 million.
Before that acquisition, the Riverside Redevelopment Agency had purchased the property in 1976 and later sold it to Carley Capital Group in 1985. Carley launched a major restoration effort but filed for bankruptcy in 1988. According to a previous Press-Enterprise report, Chemical Bank and the redevelopment agency ultimately completed the $50 million renovation project before Roberts took ownership.
Duane Roberts, widely credited with helping spark the revitalization of downtown Riverside through the reopening of the Mission Inn, passed away on Nov. 1, 2025.
When the sale was announced earlier this year, Kelly Roberts said she planned to relocate to Palm Beach, Florida, as she entered a new chapter in life. Florida remains a popular destination for wealthy residents because it does not impose state income taxes, estate taxes or luxury taxes on qualifying residents.
For the San Manuel Nation, the acquisition continues a decades-long strategy of expanding beyond gaming and diversifying its investment portfolio.
The tribe began broadening its holdings in the early 2000s with investments in the Four Fires Residence Inn by Marriott in Washington, D.C., and the Three Fires Residence Inn in downtown Sacramento.
In 2021, the tribe made headlines with its $650 million purchase of the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, marking a significant expansion of its gaming interests beyond California.
Its hospitality portfolio also includes the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club in Dana Point, the Bear Springs Hotel in Highland, and The Draftsman hotel in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The tribe further expanded its real estate holdings in 2016 with the acquisition of the historic Arrowhead Springs Hotel property in San Bernardino’s Waterman Canyon from Cru, formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ, which had owned the 1,900-acre site since 1962.
With the addition of the Mission Inn, one of Southern California’s most recognizable historic landmarks now joins an expanding portfolio of hospitality properties owned and operated by the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation.
Source: Riverside County Assessor-Clerk Recorder records; statements from Melissa Garcia, Steven Nguyen, Kenneth Shoji; Southern California News Group reporting.
